Prairie dog hunting, location.

[Ackman]

This is a long read but it is a perfect example of why I don't share PD and gopher locations.

About 15 years ago I happened across a small meadow of about 50 acres out in the sagebrush, it supported about 400 - 500 gophers and it was an easy place to just park and shoot a few so it became my backup spot for when the other places I shot were a little slow. I didn't hit it very often and when I did I only shot about 25 - 30 of them, I was the only one who knew about it, it was my own little honey hole that I was nurturing so that it would last forever.

Fast forward to about 7 years ago - I was wirh a friend and we were having a really slow day in one our usual fields. Well stupid me I mentioned that I had a location that we could take a few out of but he had to promise me that he would not share the location with anyone else or shoot it unless he was with me, I even explained to him why I only took a few out of it when shooting it.
Sure enough a few weeks later I am out shooting and I see his outfit in the meadow so I drove over to see him and he had another friend of ours with him and they are both shooting fast and hard. I was more than a little put out and I mentioned to him that he made a promise not to share the location with anyone - his reply was that since the guy with him was a friend of us both he thought it would be okay. Of course they were totally disregarding only taking out a few so the population would be sustainable.

Now it gets even better - the next time I am out there the common friend of ours is with his son-in-law and three other people in their outfit and they had killed every gopher that they could. Now 7 years later it is a dead field I have not seen a gopher or even a sign of a fresh digging since that episode.

That is the last time I will ever share a honey hole location or ranch access with anyone and a perfect example of why very few people will share locations or even contacts for access to the locations.

And yes, it did put a strain on my relationship and feelings about our friendship for a few years.

drover

It happens. Back in the 80's, I shot squirrels several times with a guy I'd met at the gun show. A couple hour drive and it was pretty much squirrel shooter's heaven. Lots of target rich spots. We shot together several times. Sometime later I went back with an acquaintance whom I'm shot with and knew but not well. He promised to never take anyone there or tell where it was. Stupid me. Many months later I found out that this a-hole had been taking his varmint shooting-club buddies up there every weekend. Basically it was on me, the gunshow guy never mentioned secrecy but he trusted me, and then my own fault for trusting this other guy. I still feel bad about it. That'll never happen again. So when guys would come on that Varmint go go board asking for directions, it's hard to take it kindly. Like asking a fisherman for his hot spot. No way.

 

[Doug Casner]

It was a long time ago but I had a good shoot in southwest kansas. Doug

 

[1shot]

One again, this thread proves that I was born and raised on a mountain, in a cave, under a rock. I now own the original family farm, passed down to me by grandparents, parents and to me. One gentleman has hunted has been allowed to hunt because his father ask my grandfather. He has since past, so now it's just me. The stories that several of you have shared are totally new to me. Whatever has happened in this country to honor, and trust that they are now just hollow words, truly makes me sad.
Thank you all for lighting up the real world to me.

Lloyd

 

[moondog]

What part of Colorado?
PM me
I have some contacts

 

[sw282]

Being 1500 miles from the nearest Prairie Dogs l have almost always used an outfitter. l have visited a few local gun shops in PD country. A few have lists of ranchers/landowners seeking help with PDS. Laramie WYO is one such town. WalMart there even sold RELOADING powder/primer/boolits. Another such town was Clayton NM, near Texline TX.

 

[dusterdave173]

We went first time last July--We live in North Carolina no way we could take any chances so we went with a guide--Two days of shooting all we could handle--plenty of dogs--so for us it was the best way to go.

 

[JSH]

I have looked at guided hunts in states other than where I am familiar with. I just can’t see the $400-600 a day per shooter and then have to have at least three people. That was bare bones, no food or accommodations. For that kind of money it better be virgin and dogs like a kicked open fire ant nest.
I hear about 50-50 of good results.

 

[dusterdave173]

Yea looks like just under $600 a day BUT---It is not a gamble except the weather --you show--there are dogs--weather is mother nature so it is a crap shoot--does not sound great but 1500 miles of diesel, travel, etc to take a chance and hope to find a spot? That is way too much of a gamble--we figure two days with guide --be damn sure we shoot--then few extra days to scrounge around and maybe get lucky some other way--either way you have to be prepared to GAMBLE and decide that travel with your pals, sight seeing, meeting new folks, etc is good enough and if the shoot goes great well then you are really living---
This is the problem living so far away from such a great sport--no way around it

 

[Rick in Oregon]

 

[redrockranger]

I have looked at guided hunts in states other than where I am familiar with. I just can’t see the $400-600 a day per shooter and then have to have at least three people. That was bare bones, no food or accommodations. For that kind of money it better be virgin and dogs like a kicked open fire ant nest.
I hear about 50-50 of good results.

The now extinct Varmint Hunter magazine ruined just about everything Prairie Dog. I remember when the rancher would shake your hand off so glad to see you. Now they have their hand out. Don't ever think you are the first one that year. 1 dog is to many. I have more dogs than you got ammo { that wasn't true} I been told we poisoned.it cost $12000.

 

[redrockranger]

What part of Colorado?
PM me
I have some contacts

Denver.

 

[Ackman]

The now extinct Varmint Hunter magazine ruined just about everything Prairie Dog. I remember when the rancher would shake your hand off so glad to see you. Now they have their hand out. Don't ever think you are the first one that year. 1 dog is to many. I have more dogs than you got ammo { that wasn't true} I been told we poisoned.it cost $12000.

So true. Used to be you spent time looking, investigating and found them. Then that magazine made everyone shooter in the country want to come out from wherever they were and expect to find unlimited targets. Well, unlimited targets only last so long no matter where it is. VH magazine really screwed things up.

 

[sw282]

The now extinct Varmint Hunter magazine ruined just about everything Prairie Dog. I remember when the rancher would shake your hand off so glad to see you. Now they have their hand out. Don't ever think you are the first one that year. 1 dog is to many. I have more dogs than you got ammo { that wasn't true} I been told we poisoned.it cost $12000.

l have to disagree Red. lf it weren't for VHA l would have never known where to go to shoot PDS. Never known about the joys of varmint hunting. Growing up in South Carolina l only knew about deer hunting. A trip to Texas courtesy US Army, introduced me to prairie dogs. Varmint Hunters Magazine was my guide to prairie dog shooting, prairie dog locations, prairie outfitters. l found my first prairie dog guide in VHA. l was and am saddened of VHA's demise. l GLADLY pay to shoot prairie dogs. Also, lf those dogs are on US Govt property they are just as much MINE as the guy living next door!!!

 

[.375RUM]

This question is directed to those of you that have hunted these elusive little creatures! lol My best bud and I would like to take a few days, meet somewhere and catch up on old times while thinning the heard a little . The problem is, I live in Ohio while he is in Colorado. Can anyone recommend some place for us to meet up for several days? Another viable option would be somewhere in Colorado where we wouldn’t have the cost of lodging. Many thanks for any recommendations.

Lloyd

Lloyd
Extreme SW Colorado is very shooter friendly and the pasture pooches are plentiful. This area is 6,000 plus feet in elevation and we’ve had record snowfall. The diggers are out on the snow when the sun shines making it loads of fun. Most the dogs will be on private ag land, but local ranchers and farmers are usually accommodating. April would be a safer bet weather wise.

 

[centershot]

We have a lot of gophers on our golf course! Really temps me sometimes to put an "extra club" in my bag.

 

[JSH]

I see a lot of “use too” here.
I use too have quail here as numerous as butterflies on the prairie.
I use too be able to drive an hour north and see as many pheasants if not more than those that drove
4-5 hours west.
I use too have a 150 yard range in my backyard.
I use too shoot trap in my neighbors front yard every third Sunday.
I use too fish in a major reservoir, my favorite spot as a kid is now a mudflat an two miles from water.

Been a life long Kansan for 60 years now. Times have changed and so have people. Conditions have changed. Folks come and go some think the hunting is superb. They have no idea of what superb or great is. People come here in the fall for bird season, it is advertised like as soon as you cross the state line pheasant and quail fly out from under every rock and the sky turns dark when you walk down a hedge row or rock fence. It just ain’t so. They shoot a limit in two days that took me a few hours. Prairie dogs are no different. People see a dog town along the road with very few yet say there are hundreds, bad math skills. Then maybe shoot on one or two that is fairly stupid, then proclaim “they are everywhere”.
In the 80’s we never moved from where we set up. Guys really were “roasting” barrels back then. AR’s were still considered a “pray and spray” piece of equipment. My BIL would bring a dozen rifles. We did not keep track of rounds fired for bragging rights. The numbers I hear and read about I still believe to be far fetched and surpass what we shot 40 some odd years ago.
Present day I may drive around 100 miles a day just to keep me and a few pards happy with numbers. Seldom do we shoot on a town for more than 4 hours.
So if folks want to pay I won’t argue it. Would I do it, hell no. I would spend same funds and gamble on a fishing trip to take a chance on if they were biting. I have never eaten a prairie dog, seen very few mounts, usually not much left to take home, no catch and release yet Colorado snow flakes may implement that in the future.

 

[redrockranger]

I see a lot of “use too” here.
I use too have quail here as numerous as butterflies on the prairie.
I use too be able to drive an hour north and see as many pheasants if not more than those that drove
4-5 hours west.
I use too have a 150 yard range in my backyard.
I use too shoot trap in my neighbors front yard every third Sunday.
I use too fish in a major reservoir, my favorite spot as a kid is now a mudflat an two miles from water.

Been a life long Kansan for 60 years now. Times have changed and so have people. Conditions have changed. Folks come and go some think the hunting is superb. They have no idea of what superb or great is. People come here in the fall for bird season, it is advertised like as soon as you cross the state line pheasant and quail fly out from under every rock and the sky turns dark when you walk down a hedge row or rock fence. It just ain’t so. They shoot a limit in two days that took me a few hours. Prairie dogs are no different. People see a dog town along the road with very few yet say there are hundreds, bad math skills. Then maybe shoot on one or two that is fairly stupid, then proclaim “they are everywhere”.
In the 80’s we never moved from where we set up. Guys really were “roasting” barrels back then. AR’s were still considered a “pray and spray” piece of equipment. My BIL would bring a dozen rifles. We did not keep track of rounds fired for bragging rights. The numbers I hear and read about I still believe to be far fetched and surpass what we shot 40 some odd years ago.
Present day I may drive around 100 miles a day just to keep me and a few pards happy with numbers. Seldom do we shoot on a town for more than 4 hours.
So if folks want to pay I won’t argue it. Would I do it, hell no. I would spend same funds and gamble on a fishing trip to take a chance on if they were biting. I have never eaten a prairie dog, seen very few mounts, usually not much left to take home, no catch and release yet Colorado snow flakes may implement that in the future.

I can remember when Iowa in the 60's to mid 70's was the pheasant capital. Quail were abundant. Agriculture practices i think change all that. My mother used to claim the farmers will poison us all with the herbicides and insecticides. I haven't hunted the upland birds in years , the reports i get are not encouraging.
Had a friend who went to South Dakota in the mid 1970's for Prairie Dogs mostly south of Interior and both sides of hwy 44. Driving down the hwy he would say we shot here at so many location it was mind boggling. Then Uncle Sam started poisoning , look like a desert,no dogs. Now most is home for the Black Footed Ferret. No hunting folks.
Stopped at the Badlands visitor center one year,i caught a ranger there and asked if the plague kills Prairie Dogs why not the Ferrets ? We vacinate them ??? Heard rumors that they had $50,000 dollars in each Ferret.

 

[Doug Casner]

Bulldozers killed the quail hunting around here. Doug

 

[JSH]

Bulldozers killed the quail hunting around here. Doug

I got zoned into city limits in 95, we had a feral cat explosion. I noticed one spring the lack of song birds. I am no coyote lover, but I have watched coyotes and foxes stalk and grab a damn cat during spring turkey hunts. I let a lot of song dogs walk well with in shotgun range. Bobcats population came up a good bit the same time. New housing editions popped up, the little Fido’s made for a evening snack. Went to a house warming party once, backyard was right up against a wooded timber line, 3-4 coyotes, one fox and one bobcat I personally saw in about a 3 hour span. No telling what I didn’t see.

 

[Jtate]

You don't hunt prairie dogs. You hunt for a place to shoot prairie dogs. Many times I have driven over a 1000 miles looking for the Holy Grail of prairie dog honey holes, I have not found it yet. I have knocked on a lot of doors, looked at google maps until my eyes have bled. As of yet I have not paid, That is just me. I would have no problem paying if I got what I paid for, true barrel melting action. My advise if you have never done prairie shooting is to be flexible in all things cause if you are not it will be a miserable trip. Once you have driven 1200 miles, what's another 500 miles. You plan on a 7 day trip what's another 3 days. You budget $1000 dollars what's another 700 bucks. If can not have fun in process maybe you should try something else. VERY IMPORTANT don't try this with a partner that is a cry baby about anything. The food will suck, the motel will suck, the weather will suck. 50% of the time the shooting will suck. Red mist and nothing but chunks is what brings us back, a hard drug habit.